Live Blackjack: Biggest Mistakes that Can Cost You

Blackjack is a popular casino game, both in physical casinos and online. The sheer popularity of blackjack and the number of players who have dabbled in the game mean that sharing tips and tricks is commonplace. Despite this, many players still make mistakes that could cost them money, especially when playing live blackjack online. Live blackjack is played through online casinos and has a live dealer running the game. This means that you are playing against a human dealer in the same way you would if you played in a regular casino as opposed to playing against a bot as you do in regular online blackjack games. It is important to know the basics of live blackjack including the difference between soft and a hard hand, learning a decent strategy such as a 14-15-16 card hand, whether to match the dealer and much more!  Despite the similarity between live blackjack games online and playing blackjack in casinos, many intermediate blackjack players still trip up when playing live blackjack online for the first time. If that sounds like you, read these tips before jumping into your next live blackjack game.

Not Playing Against the Dealer

This mistake is common for players who can play blackjack but are perhaps new to playing blackjack for money. This simple mistake comes from misunderstanding exactly the objective of live online blackjack. Most players will state that the object is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, but that isn’t the entire case. In reality, a player’s strategy should be based on assumptions and probabilities of the dealer’s current total. Players need to remember that the dealer’s actions are much more limited than their own, and the dealer must stand when they hit a total of 17.

Assuming the Dealer has a 10

Assuming that the dealer has a 10 is easily one of the most common online blackjack mistakes and easily one of the most problematic. This kind of assumption can easily lead to a loss of several return percentage points. In this case, if the dealer is showing a 2, players make their decisions based on the assumption that the dealer’s face-down card is a 10, giving a total of 12. In fact, there are 16 cards out of the 52 in a full deck that are worth 10. This works out to less than one in three cards is worth 10.

Counting Cards

While counting cards can be an effective strategy in some situations when done well, it is a lot of effort for not a lot of gain when playing live blackjack online. It is possible to get a slight edge over the dealer if you successfully count cards, but the decks are reshuffled much more frequently in live blackjack than in land-based casinos. By trying to count cards when playing live blackjack online, you’re just going to put in a lot of effort, stress yourself out and potentially get on the wrong side of the casino without good returns.

Avoiding Doubling

Bets in online blackjack can often be doubled as long as neither you nor the dealer has blackjack. A successful double can lead to winning double the amount, but the double wager makes less experienced blackjack players reluctant. In fact, most new blackjack players avoid doubling their bet unless their hand is evidently in their favor. Some players might only consider it if they have a 10 or 11 early on. The issue here is that this strategy does not take into account what the dealer is likely to have. If you avoid doubling where possible, you are harming your chances of winning the big bucks. It is best to pick a strategy that suits you! Take a look at our page on when it is time to double-down and split! 

Not Considering the Website

This is perhaps the worst mistake to make and is most common amongst seasoned casino blackjack players looking to make the move to online live blackjack for the first time. For these players, the excitement of playing their chosen game on a new platform might get ahead of them, and they can end up playing on an unreliable or questionable website. If you end up on a risky site, you can easily end up losing considerably more than a little money here and there. Blackjack as a game can be easily enjoyed both online and in physical casinos. If you are planning to play blackjack online with a live dealer, make sure to familiarise yourself with these tips beforehand to avoid making mistakes that can cost you the hand or money.